List Table: Fix incorrect use of row headers in post list tables

src/wp-admin/css/common.css

@@ -514,13 +514,15 @@ code {
 }
 
 .widefat th,
+.widefat tbody td.check-column,
 .widefat thead td,
 .widefat tfoot td {
 	text-align: left;
 	line-height: 1.3em;
 	font-size: 14px;
 }
 
+.widefat td.check-column input,
 .widefat th input,
 .updates-table td input,
 .widefat thead td input,
@@ -536,12 +538,14 @@ code {
 	vertical-align: top;
 }
 
-.widefat tbody th.check-column {
+.widefat tbody th.check-column,
+.widefat tbody td.check-column {
 	padding: 9px 0 22px;
 }
 
 .widefat thead td.check-column,
 .widefat tbody th.check-column,
+.widefat tbody td.check-column,
 .updates-table tbody td.check-column,
 .widefat tfoot td.check-column {
 	padding: 11px 0 0 3px;

src/wp-admin/css/forms.css

@@ -1967,7 +1967,8 @@ table.form-table td .updated p {
 		margin-left: 0;
 	}
 
-	.wp-list-table.privacy_requests tr:not(.inline-edit-row):not(.no-items) td.column-primary:not(.check-column) {
+	.wp-list-table.privacy_requests tr:not(.inline-edit-row):not(.no-items) td.column-primary:not(.check-column),
+	.wp-list-table.privacy_requests tr:not(.inline-edit-row):not(.no-items) th.column-primary:not(.check-column) {
 		display: table-cell;
 	}
 

src/wp-admin/css/list-tables.css

@@ -222,11 +222,13 @@
 	background-color: #fcf9e8;
 }
 
-#the-comment-list .unapproved th.check-column {
+#the-comment-list .unapproved th.check-column,
+#the-comment-list .unapproved td.check-column {
 	border-left: 4px solid #d63638;
 }
 
-#the-comment-list .unapproved th.check-column input {
+#the-comment-list .unapproved th.check-column input,
+#the-comment-list .unapproved td.check-column input {
 	margin-left: 4px;
 }
 
@@ -1221,11 +1223,13 @@ ul.cat-checklist input[name="post_category[]"]:indeterminate::before {
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
 .plugins tbody th.check-column,
+.plugins tbody td.check-column,
 .plugins tbody {
 	padding: 8px 0 0 2px;
 }
 
-.plugins tbody th.check-column input[type=checkbox] {
+.plugins tbody th.check-column input[type=checkbox],
+.plugins tbody td.check-column input[type=checkbox] {
 	margin-top: 4px;
 }
 
@@ -1235,7 +1239,8 @@ ul.cat-checklist input[name="post_category[]"]:indeterminate::before {
 
 .plugins thead td.check-column,
 .plugins tfoot td.check-column,
-.plugins .inactive th.check-column {
+.plugins .inactive th.check-column,
+.plugins .inactive td.check-column {
 	padding-left: 6px;
 }
 
@@ -1325,6 +1330,7 @@ ul.cat-checklist input[name="post_category[]"]:indeterminate::before {
 }
 
 .plugins .active th.check-column,
+.plugins .active td.check-column,
 .plugin-update-tr.active td {
 	border-left: 4px solid var(--wp-admin-theme-color);
 }
@@ -1410,7 +1416,8 @@ ul.cat-checklist input[name="post_category[]"]:indeterminate::before {
 	text-decoration: underline;
 }
 
-.plugins tr.paused th.check-column {
+.plugins tr.paused th.check-column,
+.plugins tr.paused td.check-column {
 	border-left: 4px solid #b32d2e;
 }
 
@@ -1909,7 +1916,8 @@ div.action-links,
 	}
 
 	.wp-list-table th.column-primary ~ th,
-	.wp-list-table tr:not(.inline-edit-row):not(.no-items) td.column-primary ~ td:not(.check-column) {
+	.wp-list-table tr:not(.inline-edit-row):not(.no-items) td.column-primary ~ td:not(.check-column),
+	.wp-list-table tr:not(.inline-edit-row):not(.no-items) th.column-primary ~ td:not(.check-column) {
 		display: none;
 	}
 
@@ -1918,7 +1926,8 @@ div.action-links,
 	}
 
 	/* Checkboxes need to show */
-	.wp-list-table tr th.check-column {
+	.wp-list-table tr th.check-column,
+	.wp-list-table tr td.check-column {
 		display: table-cell;
 	}
 
@@ -1936,11 +1945,13 @@ div.action-links,
 		width: auto !important; /* needs to override some columns that are more specifically targeted */
 	}
 
-	.wp-list-table td.column-primary {
+	.wp-list-table td.column-primary,
+	.wp-list-table th.column-primary {
 		padding-right: 50px; /* space for toggle button */
 	}
 
-	.wp-list-table tr:not(.inline-edit-row):not(.no-items) td.column-primary ~ td:not(.check-column) {
+	.wp-list-table tr:not(.inline-edit-row):not(.no-items) td.column-primary ~ td:not(.check-column),
+	.wp-list-table tr:not(.inline-edit-row):not(.no-items) th.column-primary ~ td:not(.check-column) {
 		padding: 3px 8px 3px 35%;
 	}
 
@@ -2269,12 +2280,14 @@ div.action-links,
 	}
 
 	.plugins tr.active + tr.inactive th.check-column,
+	.plugins tr.active + tr.inactive td.check-column,
 	.plugins tr.active + tr.inactive td.column-description,
 	.plugins .plugin-update-tr:before {
 		box-shadow: inset 0 -1px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
 	}
 
 	.plugins tr.active + tr.inactive th.check-column,
+	.plugins tr.active + tr.inactive td.check-column,
 	.plugins tr.active + tr.inactive td {
 		border-top: none;
 	}
@@ -2309,13 +2322,15 @@ div.action-links,
 		line-height: 1.5;
 	}
 
-	.plugins tbody th.check-column {
+	.plugins tbody th.check-column,
+	.plugins tbody td.check-column {
 		padding: 8px 0 0 5px;
 	}
 
 	.plugins thead td.check-column,
 	.plugins tfoot td.check-column,
-	.plugins .inactive th.check-column {
+	.plugins .inactive th.check-column,
+	.plugins .inactive td.check-column {
 		padding-left: 9px;
 	}
 

src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-list-table.php

@@ -1767,6 +1767,26 @@ protected function column_default( $item, $column_name ) {}
 	 */
 	protected function column_cb( $item ) {}
 
+	/**
+	 * Returns a clean, human-readable label for the primary column's row header.
+	 *
+	 * Used as the `aria-label` attribute value on the `<th scope="row">` element,
+	 * giving screen readers a concise cell name instead of computing it from
+	 * the full cell content (which may include row action links, excerpts, etc.).
+	 *
+	 * Subclasses should override this method to return the item's primary
+	 * identifier (e.g. post title, plugin name, username). Return an empty string
+	 * to omit the attribute.
+	 *
+	 * @since 6.9.0
+	 *
+	 * @param object|array $item The current item.
+	 * @return string The aria-label value, or an empty string.
+	 */
+	protected function get_primary_column_aria_label( $item ) {
+		return '';
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Generates the columns for a single row of the table.
 	 *
@@ -1796,9 +1816,9 @@ protected function single_row_columns( $item ) {
 			$attributes = "class='$classes' $data";
 
 			if ( 'cb' === $column_name ) {
-				echo '<th scope="row" class="check-column">';
+				echo '<td class="check-column">';
 				echo $this->column_cb( $item );
-				echo '</th>';
+				echo '</td>';
 			} elseif ( method_exists( $this, '_column_' . $column_name ) ) {
 				echo call_user_func(
 					array( $this, '_column_' . $column_name ),
@@ -1807,16 +1827,29 @@ protected function single_row_columns( $item ) {
 					$data,
 					$primary
 				);
-			} elseif ( method_exists( $this, 'column_' . $column_name ) ) {
-				echo "<td $attributes>";
-				echo call_user_func( array( $this, 'column_' . $column_name ), $item );
-				echo $this->handle_row_actions( $item, $column_name, $primary );
-				echo '</td>';
 			} else {
-				echo "<td $attributes>";
-				echo $this->column_default( $item, $column_name );
+				$is_primary = ( $primary === $column_name );
+				$tag        = $is_primary ? 'th' : 'td';
+				$scope      = $is_primary ? ' scope="row"' : '';
+
+				$aria_label = '';
+				if ( $is_primary ) {
+					$label = $this->get_primary_column_aria_label( $item );
+					if ( '' !== $label ) {
+						$aria_label = ' aria-label="' . esc_attr( $label ) . '"';
+					}
+				}
+
+				echo "<$tag $attributes$scope$aria_label>";
+
+				if ( method_exists( $this, 'column_' . $column_name ) ) {
+					echo call_user_func( array( $this, 'column_' . $column_name ), $item );
+				} else {
+					echo $this->column_default( $item, $column_name );
+				}
+
 				echo $this->handle_row_actions( $item, $column_name, $primary );
-				echo '</td>';
+				echo "</$tag>";
 			}
 		}
 	}

src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-ms-themes-list-table.php

@@ -940,11 +940,11 @@ public function single_row_columns( $item ) {
 
 			switch ( $column_name ) {
 				case 'cb':
-					echo '<th scope="row" class="check-column">';
+					echo '<td class="check-column">';
 
 					$this->column_cb( $item );
 
-					echo '</th>';
+					echo '</td>';
 					break;
 
 				case 'name':
@@ -966,11 +966,11 @@ public function single_row_columns( $item ) {
 						}
 					}
 
-					echo "<td class='theme-title column-primary{$extra_classes}'><strong>" . $item->display( 'Name' ) . $active_theme_label . '</strong>';
+					echo "<th scope='row' class='theme-title column-primary{$extra_classes}' aria-label='" . esc_attr( $item->display( 'Name' ) ) . "'><strong>" . $item->display( 'Name' ) . $active_theme_label . '</strong>';
 
 					$this->column_name( $item );
 
-					echo '</td>';
+					echo '</th>';
 					break;
 
 				case 'description':

src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-plugins-list-table.php

@@ -1233,12 +1233,12 @@ public function single_row( $item ) {
 
 			switch ( $column_name ) {
 				case 'cb':
-					echo "<th scope='row' class='check-column'>$checkbox</th>";
+					echo "<td class='check-column'>$checkbox</td>";
 					break;
 				case 'name':
-					echo "<td class='plugin-title column-primary'><strong>$plugin_name</strong>";
+					echo "<th scope='row' class='plugin-title column-primary' aria-label='" . esc_attr( $plugin_name ) . "'><strong>$plugin_name</strong>";
 					echo $this->row_actions( $actions, true );
-					echo '</td>';
+					echo '</th>';
 					break;
 				case 'description':
 					$classes = 'column-description desc';

src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-posts-list-table.php

@@ -1114,10 +1114,28 @@ public function column_cb( $item ) {
 	 * @param string  $primary
 	 */
 	protected function _column_title( $post, $classes, $data, $primary ) {
-		echo '<td class="' . $classes . ' page-title" ', $data, '>';
+		$aria_label = $this->get_primary_column_aria_label( $post );
+		$aria_attr  = ( '' !== $aria_label ) ? ' aria-label="' . esc_attr( $aria_label ) . '"' : '';
+		echo '<th scope="row" class="' . $classes . ' page-title" ', $data, $aria_attr, '>';
 		echo $this->column_title( $post );
 		echo $this->handle_row_actions( $post, 'title', $primary );
-		echo '</td>';
+		echo '</th>';
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Returns a clean label for the primary (title) column's row header `aria-label`.
+	 *
+	 * Provides screen readers with just the post title as the row header name,
+	 * preventing them from computing the name from the full cell content
+	 * (which includes row action links, post states, and possibly an excerpt).
+	 *
+	 * @since 6.9.0
+	 *
+	 * @param WP_Post $item The current post object.
+	 * @return string The post title, or 'no title' if no title.
+	 */
+	protected function get_primary_column_aria_label( $item ) {
+		return isset( $item->post_title ) && ! empty( $item->post_title ) ? $item->post_title : __( 'no title' );
 	}
 
 	/**

src/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-users-list-table.php

@@ -563,9 +563,16 @@ public function single_row( $user_object, $style = '', $role = '', $numposts = 0
 			$attributes = "class='$classes' $data";
 
 			if ( 'cb' === $column_name ) {
-				$row .= "<th scope='row' class='check-column'>$checkbox</th>";
+				$row .= "<td class='check-column'>$checkbox</td>";
 			} else {
-				$row .= "<td $attributes>";
+				$is_primary = ( $primary === $column_name );
+				$tag        = $is_primary ? 'th' : 'td';
+				$scope      = $is_primary ? ' scope="row"' : '';
+				$aria_label = '';
+				if ( $is_primary ) {
+					$aria_label = ' aria-label="' . esc_attr( $user_object->user_login ) . '"';
+				}
+				$row .= "<$tag $attributes$scope$aria_label>";
 				switch ( $column_name ) {
 					case 'username':
 						$row .= "$avatar $edit";
@@ -628,7 +635,8 @@ public function single_row( $user_object, $style = '', $role = '', $numposts = 0
 				if ( $primary === $column_name ) {
 					$row .= $this->row_actions( $actions );
 				}
-				$row .= '</td>';
+				$tag = ( $primary === $column_name ) ? 'th' : 'td';
+				$row .= "</$tag>";
 			}
 		}
 		$row .= '</tr>';